


Sixteen Tons

by E350tb



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, F/F, Gen, Great Depression, Guns, Songfic, heavily implied cameo by vlad from danny phantom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:17:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: "You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?Another day older and deeper in debt..."A coal mine discovers a strange object and a bank robber discovers a new friend.





	Sixteen Tons

**Author's Note:**

> I love this song. For people who want to listen to it, it's 'Sixteen Tons' by Tennessee Ernie Ford (although Johnny Cash also did an excellent cover. Robbie Williams' version is also good. Tom Jones'... _isn't._ )
> 
> I've had this basic sequence in my head for months, and I decided to finally put it to words over the past few days. Enjoy!

**Sixteen Tons**

_Some people say a man is made outta mud_  
_A poor man’s made outta muscle and blood_  
 _Muscle and blood and skin and bone_  
 _A mind that’s weak and a back that’s strong_

The Masters Mining Company was the largest and richest coal mine in the state – a great black stain on the once green hills and meadows that had once made up the highlands. Day in and day out, workers toiled in the dark, damp and claustrophobic tunnels, and train after train of dirty black coal was shipped out on the main line to the city. Under the watchful eyes of a hundred hired goons, a thousand miners slaved their lives away.

Deep in the pits, a single miner dug a small hole with his shovel, pouring ton after ton of coal into a waiting cart. For a moment, he stopped to mop his brow – in doing so, he noticed a strange, glowing object in the pile of coal at his feet.

“What in the world?”

He knelt down, gently shifting some of the coal away. A small, green gem glowed softly in the dark, lamplit pit – it was very definitely not a lump of coal.

For a moment, the miner considered pocketing it – it was probably valuable, after all. But he reconsidered, remembering a fellow miner that had been sacked for trying to sneak out half a lump of coal the other day for his fireplace. Reluctantly, he decided that he’d just have to take it up to the foreman.

_You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?_  
_Another day older and deeper in debt_  
 _St. Peter, dontcha call me ‘cause I can’t go_  
 _I owe my soul to the Company Store…_

The foreman stood on the surface, at the entrance to the main pit. He scowled as he watched the miner emerge.

“Get back to your position, boy!” he thundered.

“Mr. Baxter, I…I found this, boss,” replied the miner, holding out his hands and showing the foreman the small gem.

The foreman raised his eyebrow and snatched the gem.

“Nice,” he nodded, “Boss’ gonna be pretty happy when I show him this. Might even get a bonus.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“You didn’t have anything to do with this, you clear?” he snapped.

“But boss, I…”

“You wanna look for another job?”

“…no, boss.”

“The credit’s mine,” nodded the foreman, walking away in clear satisfaction.

_I was born one morning when the sun didn’t shine_  
_I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine_  
 _I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal_  
 _And the straw boss said “Well, a-bless my soul…”_

There was a great flash of light, and suddenly Peridot was aware that she was in an office.

A man in an expensive suit leaned over her, a predatory smile on his face. Behind him were two men in cheaper suits and fedoras – they brandished heavy black batons, and they both wore deep scowls.

“So,” said the suited man, his voice icily smooth, “I believe you must be Peridot?”

“Who are you?” demanded Peridot, “Where am I?”

“Oh, none of that is especially important,” the man said flippantly, “All you need to know is that we’re here to give you a sense of purpose…”

He stood up, hands tucked behind his back.

“We here at the Masters Mining Company value hard and loyal workers,” he said, “And a gem such as yourself can work indefinitely without any need of a rest. So, if it’s all the same to you, my dear Peridot…”

He picked up a shovel from his desk and held it towards Peridot.

“…you are now officially in my employ,” he said, “Unless you’d like to bring it up with my friends?”

The guards growled and raised their batons. Peridot gazed from them to the suited man, and then up to the window of the office.

She swallowed and leapt for the glass window.

_You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?_  
_Another day older and deeper in debt_  
 _St. Peter, dontcha call me ‘cause I can’t go_  
 _I owe my soul to the Company Store…_

Not too far away from the mine, there stood a bank.

It was a slow day for the bank teller – the mine owner had been around to ask about his account earlier, but aside from that, there wasn’t much going on. He looked out the window next to his desk – it had started to rain outside, and grey water ran along the glass window. He sighed heavily – if only something _interesting_ would happen!

There was a click. The teller turned, and found himself staring down the barrel of a Tommy Gun.

“Alight, you know the drill; the money or your life or whatever.”

_I was born one morning, it was drizzling rain_  
_Fighting and trouble are my middle name_  
 _I was raised in the canebreak by an old mama lion_  
 _Ain’t no high-toned woman make me walk the line_

For as long as she could remember, Amethyst had been on the run.

She had emerged alone, and as gems were not accepted in this part of the country she had been forced to move around to avoid detection from day one. At one point, she had had friends – a family, even – but that was long ago now. In any case, if society wouldn’t let her live honestly, why should she worry about living dishonestly?

One thing had led to another, and now she led her own gang.

They lived loudly and dangerously, motoring from safehouse to safehouse in an old but reliable motor car. Most of them carried a variety of pistols – Amethyst had her whip, but she was also partial to a Thompson which she took pride in having never had to kill anybody with. The law hated her, high society feared her, but the poor? The downtrodden? They loved her, and she them. After all, they were where all the money went – frankly, she was just in it for the thrill of it.

_You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?_  
_Another day older and deeper in debt_  
 _St. Peter, dontcha call me ‘cause I can’t go_  
 _I owe my soul to the Company Store…_

She had just left the bank, the trunk filled with bags of money and gold bullion and the police left far in her wake, when she encountered a peculiar sight on the side of the road.

A small green gem – a Peridot – was on her back in the mud by the river, edging fearfully away from two men. One held up a baton threateningly, while the other brandished a pistol.

“You’re through, ya filthy rock,” the gunman snarled, “Wait ‘till the boss man gets done with you, you’re gonna be _shattered_ for this…”

Amethyst narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

“Hold on,” she said to her gang, pulling over the car, “I gotta deal with this.”

_If you see me comin’, better step aside_  
_A lotta men didn’t – a lotta men died_  
 _One fist of iron, the other of steel,_  
 _If the right one don’t getcha then the left one will_

The boss’ men, in the end, had far more bark than they did bite. They took one look at the Amethyst emerging from the car, whip in one hand and Tommy Gun in the other, and immediately fled. It was clear they had been hired for _looking_ tough rather than _being_ tough.

Peridot shuddered in the mud, looking up at the armed gem walking towards her. She looked down on her for a few seconds – she chuckled, putting her whip back into her gem.

“’Sup, Peri,” she said.

“Peri?” quizzed Peridot, titling her head.

“Yeah,” nodded Amethyst, “ _Peridot – Peri._ I mean, unless you don’t want me to…”

“No, no, that – that’s okay,” said Peridot, “I…thank you for the help.”

“No problem,” shrugged Amethyst, “Least I could do, man.”

She offered her free left hand.

“You wanna travel with us?” she asked.

Peridot stared at the hand for a while. Then she nodded.

“Yes,” she replied, “I think I do.”

She took the offered hand and joined Amethyst’s gang. Far, far away, the well-dressed man was already planning to take her back, but for now? For now, she was among friends.

_You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?_  
_Another day older and deeper in debt_  
 _St. Peter, dontcha call me ‘cause I can’t go_  
 _I owe my soul to the Company Store…_

**Author's Note:**

> I think that's my first real songfic, so any criticism is heartily welcomed!


End file.
